In the pneumatic tire art, it is known that structural aspects of the tread of the tire affect vehicle performance. For example, a tread may be formed with specific grooves or features to increase traction, or to promote fuel efficiency. With the development of autonomous vehicles and fleets of autonomous vehicles, there are particular considerations.
An autonomous vehicle is a vehicle such as a car or truck that is capable of legally operating and navigating on urban streets, highways and other roads without a human driver. It is expected that one of the primary environments for such autonomous vehicles will likely be an urban or city environment. In addition, it is expected that autonomous vehicles will be employed in fleets which transport passengers in such urban environments on an ongoing basis.
A primary consideration for a fleet of vehicles is optimizing the amount of time that each vehicle is in service. To this end, it is desirable that the tires for such vehicles provide high mileage before replacement is needed. In addition, for an urban environment, reduced noise from the tires during vehicle operation is beneficial. Moreover, for autonomous vehicles, uniform tire wear is desirable, as well as good all-weather performance.
As a result, there is a need in the art for a tire for an autonomous vehicle that includes a tread structure which provides high mileage before replacement, reduced noise characteristics, uniform wear and good all-weather performance in an urban environment.